Palace to military reservists: Respect PNoy decision on Marcos burial

Malacañang on Saturday urged reserve officers offering military burial honors for the late President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani to respect President Benigno Aquino III’s decision against it. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte, in an interview on government-run dzRB radio, stressed Aquino had already spoken on the matter. “The president has already spoken, he has already made a decision on the matter. Let’s respect the decision," she said. She was referring to the reported offer of the Reserve Officers Legion of the Philippines (ROLP) to provide Marcos full military honors at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani in Taguig City. ROLP spokesman retired Army Col. Octavio Alvarez said the group had approved a resolution offering their military service to the Marcos family. He was quoted as saying that every soldier has the right to be buried at the Libingan ng Bayani because it was intended as burial grounds of soldiers. For his part, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the burial of the late dictator should now be a family matter. Marcos, who ruled the country for 21 years, was ousted in a bloodless revolt in 1986 that catapulted incumbent President Aquino’s late mother Corazon to the presidency. After three years in exile in Hawaii, Marcos died in 1989. His remains were brought to his hometown in Batac in Ilocos Norte in 1993. Earlier, Aquino asked Vice President Jejomar Binay to study the issue. Binay recommended Marcos' burial with military honors in his hometown in Ilocos. But Aquino, speaking before the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, said he will not allow a state burial for Marcos, which he said would be an injustice to Martial Law victims. — LBG, GMA News